“Banned in Europe” Food Additive Triggers Hormone Chaos

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted June 13, 2025

If you’ve ever enjoyed the bright white frosting on a cookie or vibrantly colored candy, you’ve likely consumed titanium dioxide.

This common food additive, used to make products look more appealing, is now at the center of a growing health debate.

Titanium dioxide is essentially makeup for food—a white powder that enhances colors and makes products look brighter.

Food manufacturers dump it into sweets, cookies, and milk-based items for visual appeal. You might find it listed as “titanium dioxide,” “artificial color,” or simply “color added” on ingredient labels.

However, since the FDA doesn’t require it to be identified, it also may not be listed at all.

It’s found in an estimated 11,000 US products, including popular items such as M&Ms and Chips Ahoy! Cookies. It’s also used in non-stick ceramic cookware and personal care products, such as makeup, moisturizers, and toothpaste.

But scientists now say this additive could pose some unexpectedly serious dangers to your health…

Experts say up to 74 percent of food-grade titanium dioxide could be microscopic nanoparticles that behave differently in our bodies than larger ones. If you imagine regular particles as marbles, think of nanoparticles as fine dust.

The trouble is, those tiny pieces can potentially slip past our body’s natural defenses in ways the larger ones can’t.

Recent studies from China’s Jiaxing Nanhu University reveal troubling findings. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles appear to disrupt your gut’s hormone system that normally controls hunger, digestion, and blood sugar levels.

In lab studies with mice, those fed nanoparticles showed significantly higher blood sugar levels and greatly reduced gut hormones that signal fullness and regulate glucose. The particles interfered with intestinal cells that produce these crucial hormones, potentially leading to insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes.

Children and folks with a sweet tooth may be exposed to the highest level, as titanium dioxide content is often higher in sweets. However, typical adult exposure may reach one milligram per kilogram of body weight daily.

The response to this risky additive has been dramatically different worldwide. After finding evidence that titanium dioxide nanoparticles can accumulate in the body and potentially cause genetic damage, the European Union quickly banned it for food use in 2022.

Meanwhile, the FDA insists it’s fine to use in our food supply, classifying it as “generally recognized as safe.” Public health groups petitioned the FDA in 2023 to ban the risky substance, but the agency has yet to respond despite being legally required to address such petitions within 180 days.

While scientists study these effects, the FDA drags its feet, and Big Food continues to add titanium dioxide to our food, one thing is clear—it’s up to us to protect ourselves.

And the best way to do that is to reduce your exposure. Read ingredient labels carefully, limit ultra-processed foods, and consider choosing organic products whenever possible, as they often exclude synthetic color additives.

For help determining which products contain the additive, visit our friends at The Environmental Working Group. You’ll find food products containing titanium dioxide listed here and personal care products listed here.

And another thing…
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Source:

Kai Zou, Linna Du, Jing Qin, Jiacheng Zhou, et al., Titanium dioxide nanoparticles disturb glucose homeostasis in association with impaired enteroendocrine cell differentiation, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2025, Volume 202, 115504, ISSN 0278-6915, doi:org/10.1016/j.fct.2025.115504.